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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — humankind
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spell — letters
  12. fine — all right
  13. vault — a safe
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cold — not warm
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — a contest
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com